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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22724554">Much Ado About Love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BluebellDestroyerOfWorlds/pseuds/BluebellDestroyerOfWorlds'>BluebellDestroyerOfWorlds</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>I Can't Do Fluff, Jason is adorable, M/M, Probably not proofread enough, References to Shakespeare, Rose petals everywhere, Slade Wilson is weirdly nice, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff, but i tried, it's late and i'm tired, too many cliches</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:08:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,475</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22724554</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BluebellDestroyerOfWorlds/pseuds/BluebellDestroyerOfWorlds</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason definitely doesn't want to make his first Valentine's Day with Slade a big deal... Definitely not. Why would he? It's not like Slade could have possibly planned anything, right?</p><p>(In other words: This is pure fluff, no smut, or violence, or angst and I'm completely out of my comfort zone...)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jason Todd/Slade Wilson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>167</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Much Ado About Love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Okay, so originally I wanted to make a couple of short Valentine's Day fics in various fandoms, but I only managed to finish this one on time. I'm currently working on four other fics, including the third chapter of A Brilliant Fucking Evening (I'm sorry for the delay, I've finally worked out a plot I'm happy with and I'm trying to piece it together), so hopefully I'll post most of those, along with some of my other Valentine's Day ones this weekend! Anyway, hope you enjoy this weird ball of fluff, I'll probably edit it a bit more in the morning. Also, I tried to limit the Shakespeare references, but there is one you may not get, if you haven't read Much Ado About Nothing.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Just to be clear… We’re not celebrating this bullshit holiday tomorrow, right?”</p><p> </p><p>Slade looked up from his laptop, his gaze falling on the young man currently disassembling and cleaning the two guns lying on the coffee table. Jason was looking at him, his mouth curled in a sneer, but his body tense and his fingers nervously fiddling with the cloth in his hands. He’d been working up to asking Slade something for the last half hour and apparently this was it. “You mean Valentine’s Day?” Slade asked calmly, pretending to continue typing, but keeping Jason in his line of vision.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh… No, Slade, the other holdiay famously celebrated on the February 14.” Jason snarked, but his usually bravado was lost as he continued. “I just thought, if you felt obligated to, well, do something, that I should tell you you don’t need to. It’s a just stupid day, y’know?”</p><p> </p><p>Slade raised an eyebrow. “Mhm. I’ll keep that in mind.” he murmured, returning to the email he was typing.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, cool. Just clarifying.” Jason looked back down at his guns. Slade didn't miss the way his adam’s apple bobbed nervously and his eyes glinted oddly wet in the lamp light.</p><p> </p><p>Another half an hour and he was fully suited up, guns holstered, helmet under his arm and dark read domino mask over half of his face. “I’m heading out. Dickhead thinks Mask is up to something, so I’m gonna check it out. I’ll be back for breakfast, kay?”</p><p> </p><p>Slade looked up from his laptop again and smiled. Jason didn’t think he’d ever get used to seeing that expression on his face. Seeing him genuinely, openly happy was weird enough in itself, but to have it directed towards him was just… It did funny things to his insides. “Have fun, kid. Give Sionis my best, then kick the creep in the balls, would you?”</p><p> </p><p>Jason felt something warm bubble up inside him and he laughed. “Not like I’d say no to that request.” he smirked, stepping closer to Slade and leaning down, just a little, his posture stiff and a bit awkward. Slade got the hint and a strong hand brushed through his hair, pulling him down further so their lips met. That was another thing that wasn’t easy to get used to. Just kissing, normally. He’d shied away, or just stiffened the first few times Slade had given him a peck out of the blue, but now… It was nice. Gentle, reassuring, no heat, or teeth, just soft pressure and the tickle of Slade’s beard on his face. Unlike the rough, domineering make-out sessions they shared before they fucked, full of tongue and teeth, that made Jason’s mind go blank and his heart start to race, he always felt calmer after these kisses, his mind more focused. He honestly couldn’t tell which he liked best.</p><p> </p><p>He straightened up again, with what he was sure had to be a dopey grin on his face, because Slade gave him a fond look and snorted. “Give ‘em Hell, Hood. But if you get blood all over the carpet this time, I won’t be fucking pleased.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, yeah. I’ll make an effort to bleed out in the bathroom, instead, asshole.” Jason opened the safehouse window and swung his legs over the sill, before glancing back. “Hey, Slade?” he said and his pulse quickened, his lips suddenly a little too dry.</p><p> </p><p>“Hm?”</p><p> </p><p>“Love ya.”</p><p> </p><p>Jason vanished out of the window before Slade could react.</p><p> </p><p>._.</p><p> </p><p>The mercenary sat very still for nearly five minutes, his fingers hovering over the keyboard and his mouth slightly open. He finally shut the laptop, placed it on the coffee table, stood up and checked his watch. 23:11. He had almost 7 hours before he could expect Jason to be back. That was more than enough time. If Grayson held up his end of the bargain, that is. He got moving.</p><p> </p><p>The basement was, at least in Jason’s eyes, his domain, but there were three rooms devoted to training and two to weaponry that Slade had managed to coax him into using, leaving only the computer room and the panic room, that Jason refused to go into. Slade knew he already felt a little guilty about living in Slade’s safehouse rent-free and usually this annoyed the mercenary. What was his was now also Jason’s and all that other sappy bullshit, after all. But there were times that he could use the vigilante’s apprehension to his advantage. He unlocked the panic room and stepped inside. Five, large rose bushes, an expensive-looking heart-shaped box and an envelope greeted him. He smiled a smile that, if he had a mirror, he would have agreed, looked a lot like the one most super villains used when they were plotting something particularly evil.</p><p> </p><p>Even without both Grayson’s and the Wayne family butler’s hinting, Slade had known full well that Jason was a soppy romantic at heart. For one thing, there was the fact that most of his favourite books were written by people like Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters and E. M. Forster, or that he would absentmindedly doodle hearts in the corners of his plans to stop a drug bust, or how much he liked cuddling, even though he heavily denied it. Jason had been constantly lingering at the sickeningly pink and red coloured decorations that had been popping up all over Gotham during the past few weeks and while Slade would have usually found that annoying, it was a testimony to how damned besotted he was, that the sight of Jason grinning up at fat, winged cherubs had almost compelled him to buy one. Almost. There was a limit with how far he was willing to go. That limit was roses and chocolate. They were classy. Traditional, even. Cherubs were fat, naked babies with wings.</p><p> </p><p>He rolled up his sleeves, silently praying Poison Ivy never found out about what he was about to do, and began to prune the heads off the beautiful flowers.</p><p> </p><p>._.</p><p> </p><p>It was just past 6am when Jason arrived back at the safehouse. He was exhausted and he was pretty sure he’d bruised a rib or two. Dick had insisted on taking the long route while they headed back into the centre of Gotham, even provoking Jason into a stretched out and weirdly giggly (even for Dick’s standards) game of tag. It was almost like he was stalling. Jason had started to get suspicious, but the Dick had checked his watch, given him a fleeting hug, then a wink and shouted “Happy V-Day, little wing!”, before swinging away over the rooftops. He’d been left, oddly perplexed, before shrugging it off as just Dick being Dick and heading home himself.</p><p> </p><p>The living room was still dark when he slipped back in the window. Slade must have left it open, probably so he wouldn’t set off one of the many alarms and wake him. He collapsed on the couch, with a groan and stared up at the ceiling. He’d really gone and done it now, hadn’t he? He hadn’t meant to say it. It was just… Slade made him feel so happy, sometimes, like he finally had someone in his corner who’d stick by him, no matter what. Who wouldn’t judge him. He ran his hands through his hair, taking off the domino mask as he did so. It had definitely been too soon for that, right? It wasn’t really as though he had much experience with relationships, but wasn’t there a specific time for saying I love you? It wasn’t as though Slade wanted that from him… Probably not… He was just a kid in his eyes. Fuck… The first rays of sunlight trickled in through the window behind him and he put his head in his hands. What was he going to do?</p><p> </p><p>Leaning forward, he rubbed his hands over his face and glared at the floor in exasperation. He froze. The carpet was red. His whole body stiffened and he bit back another groan. He hadn’t lost any blood… Not as far as he knew. How the hell- Kneeling down, he tried to run his hands over the patches of blood, but instead something rustled and shifted under his hand and he felt something smooth and silky beneath his fingertips. He picked up one of the strange, thin, oval flakes off the floor and stared. Rose petals… The grounds around the sofa was covered in rose petals. He looked around, thoroughly confused and spotted something resting on the coffee table beside him. A heart-shaped box and a crimson envelope. He hesitated before opening the box and nearly laughed out of pure shock. It was filled with small, heart-shaped chocolates. They looked hand-made, but by someone who’d gone to a lot of effort to make them as perfectly formed as possible. Jason felt tears welling up in his eyes, but he blinked them away and reached shakily for the envelope. Inside was a small, red card, with a simple heart drawn on the front and two tickets. “Much Ado About Nothing, Gotham Theater, 19:00, February 14.” Jason sniffed and opened the card. Inside, in black ink, written in handwriting that was unmistakably Slade’s, was a quote:</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>And underneath:</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>P.S. Follow the roses, kid.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Slowly Jason stood up, not before taking one of the chocolates and stuffing it in his mouth. It tasted of dark chocolate and oranges. Looking at the ground, he saw a trail of red petals leading away from the sofa and a giddy smile took over his face. He felt like he was having some sort of fever dream and he didn’t want to wake up. Carefully, he slipped off his boots and jacket and stepped barefoot onto the trail, feeling the petals tickle the soles of his feet. The roses lead him out of the living room, down the hallway and to the bathroom.</p><p> </p><p>The room, white tiled, modern and pretty large for a bathroom, with a tub the size of a small jacuzzi, was one of Jason’s favourite rooms in the house. He loved taking baths after a long day, or, well, night and had accumulated quite the collection of bubble bath liquids, lotions, bath bombs and even three rubber ducks (the first had been an orange duck with an eyepatch, that Slade had given him as joke, although he’d actually grown quite attached to it, much to the mercenary’s amusement).</p><p> </p><p>Jason raised an eyebrow, looking carefully at where the petals disappeared under the door, before taking a breath and pushing it open. It was the scent that hit him first, the smell of rosewater, fragrant and rich. He blinked, staring into the windowless room, The lights were off, but every flat surface had been covered with a mix of candles and rose petals, that, while being an obvious safety hazard, provided enough light to see everything in a warm glow. The large tub was full, petals and small, circular candles floating on the water, steam wafting over the surface and promising delicious heat. Slade was standing next to the bath, wearing his own simple, black bathrobe and from the looks of it, nothing else. He smirked at Jason when they made eye contact, but didn’t speak, letting him take it all in</p><p> </p><p>Jason was, for one of the few times in his life, completely speechless. Everything looked so… so much like a rom-com that he was getting the growing urge to pinch, or slap himself with every passing minute. He stared at Slade. “You- Uh… I- Holy shit, Slade!”</p><p> </p><p>Chuckling, the man gestured around the room. He looked far too pleased with himself. “Like it, Jason?”</p><p> </p><p>There were a few more seconds that passed while Jason tried to decide whether he had enough reason to yell at Slade, or not, ultimately resigning himself to the fact that, no, he definitely didn’t. He let a grin play on his face. “I thought we weren’t celebrating this holiday, old man...” He tried to keep the joy out of his voice, he really did.</p><p> </p><p>Slade walked a few paces towards him and Jason automatically did the same, until they just were close enough to touch. “I don’t think either of us really wanted to skip it, kid.” Slade smiled down at the vigilante. “You, most of all.”</p><p> </p><p>Jason bristled and folded his arms. “Hey! I would have been fine with skipping it. It’s not like I need all this… Not that it’s not nice, ‘course- I mean… You didn’t have to-” Slade closed the gap between them, wrapped his arms around Jason and kissed him. It was embarrassing how quickly his arms unfolded and slid around Slade’s neck. It was embarrassing that all he could really do was melt into the embrace and let Slade devour his mouth, like he had some sort of right to it. It was embarrassing, but it was so, so good…</p><p> </p><p>They broke apart eventually, when Jason felt the sane part of his brain, tugging at his subconscious and reminding him that most humans can’t go without oxygen for very long. A thought slowly formed in Jason’s tired and a little overwhelmed mind and he laughed. “You stopped my mouth.” He murmured in the face of Slade’s visible confusion and the man grinned.</p><p> </p><p>“That I did.”</p><p> </p><p>“I thought you didn’t like romantic comedies.” Jason reminded him, smirking and tugging gently on Slade’s hair.</p><p> </p><p>The mercenary rolled his eye. “I can appreciate Shakespeare, especially when the romantic couple in question are two intelligent, independent adults, who have known each other for longer than a day.”</p><p> </p><p>Jason laughed again. “You really fucking hate Romeo and Juliet, don’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>“I do. It’s a shit show.” Slade agreed. He leaned in closer to Jason and the vigilante felt his heart quicken, as he closed the bathroom door behind them with a soft click. “But that doesn’t matter right now… Because right now, we’re going to have a bath, then we’re going to fuck until neither of us feels like moving anymore, after that we’ll sleep, eat and go see that masterpiece of a play and hopefully fuck some more.” He cupped Jason’s face with his hand and smirked. “Oh, and in case the written confirmation wasn’t enough, I love you too. More than reason.”</p><p> </p><p>Jason’s heart felt like it might explode and when Slade moved away from him, he was very close to protesting, but then the black robe fell to the floor and his mind was somewhere else entirely. Slade stepped into the large tub, leaning back into the hot water with a sigh, before his eye cracked open again and he cocked his head at the young man. “Coming?”</p><p> </p><p>Jason wasn’t sure he’d ever gotten undressed so quickly in his life.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, I have no idea if that was decent, or not, but please let me know! I'm trying to shake off a huge writer's block, atm, so every bit of feedback helps! Also, yeah, I completely share Slade's opinion of Romeo and Juliet and Benedick and Beatrice are a shockingly underrated and amazing couple!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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